Running Into Hope
by Mistress Belfray
Summary: Slightly AU. Naraku is dead and everyone has moved on with their lives. Kagome is stuck in the past and while out on a journey for herbs she gets lost and runs into a certain someone. One-Shot! Fluffy Kagome/Sesshomaru. R&R!


**Title:** Running Into Hope

**Author:** The Sun Deity

**Summary:** Slightly AU. Naraku is dead and the jewel is finished, but Kagome is trapped in the feudal era and feeling rather lonely as Sango and Miroku are together and went back to the slayers village to rebuild it. Inuyasha went to hell with Kinky-ho. Now it's just her and Shippou in Kaede's village. Kagome gets lost while looking for herbs and runs into a certain someone. Kagome/Sesshomaru with hints of Inuyasha/Kinky-ho, Miroku/Sango, and Kouga/Ayame. One-Shot!!

**Warnings:** No real warnings cept mentions of Inu/Kik.

**Disclaimer:** I never have and never will own Inuyasha. That right belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.

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It had been almost a year since Naraku was defeated and the jewel completed. Everyone joined in the chance the defeat Naraku and deal out their revenge. Since then there had been some major changes in Kagome's life and not all of it was good.

The jewel when put together again stayed with Kagome because they didn't want to taint it by making a wish on it. Kagome's skills in fighting and controlling her miko powers made her powerful enough to protect the jewel on her which was required of her since the well was sealed somehow when the jewel was put back together. Kagome adopted Shippou and the two of them stayed in Kaede's village as Kagome took over the duty as village miko.

Sango and Miroku got married and the two of them along with Kirara moved back to the Slayer's village to rebuild and start and a new life together. They had a little boy who was only a couple months old and was named Kohaku after Sango's brother who unfortunately did not make it. They saw each other every once in a while, but not that often.

Probably the biggest blow to Kagome's heart was that Inuyasha was gone. He actually did what he promised. He and Kikyo went to hell together leaving Kagome practically broken. She had loved him so much and yet it wasn't enough for him, he still loved Kikyo after all she had done to him and their friends. It took months for Kagome to go back to her normal self and get over him leaving. The fact that she would probably never see her family again hadn't helped either which was something that Kagome still had trouble getting past.

Kouga stopped pursuing Kagome and went to the one woman who loved him dearly. The two of them left for Ayame's pack with promises of a big family to help rebuild and grow. It was nice to have that pressure off of her. Kagome was happy for the two of them as they made a cute couple. Ginta and Hakkaku also left with them being Kouga's right hand wolves.

Kagome hadn't heard a lot from Sesshomaru. After Naraku was killed he left to go back to Rin and Jaken and his home in the Western Lands. Kagome had often wished she had gotten the chance to see him once again to properly thank him for helping them defeat Naraku, Kagura, and Kanna.

Kagome stopped thinking about her friends and concentrated on her task. Kaede had sent her on a two days journey to the west to get some special herbs that they desperately needed for a sickness that was plaguing the village. They were hard to find and only found in a certain area at a certain time of year. Somewhere along her trip she had gotten desperately and hopelessly lost. She wasn't really that afraid though as she didn't have to worry about protecting Shippou as she had left him behind. She could also protect herself from whatever came her way.

"Where the hell am I? I'm so stupid for getting lost. I'm never going to find those herbs or my way back to the village. I'm such a failure as a miko," Kagome said to herself feeling very down at the moment.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that miko," a cool voice stated from behind her.

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_A way's away around the same time_

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Sesshomaru was glad to be away from his castle for a bit and demons causing trouble in his lands was the perfect excuse. Just about everyone seemed to be getting on his last nerves even little Rin. Lately he had come to look upon his ward as he would a daughter; she had softened him a bit since they had met. Though she was starting to grow older and was becoming curious about everything.

He had been traveling for about a week and had already vanquished the demons and was just taking his time going back. It gave him plenty of time to think. Lately he had been thinking of his late half-breed brother. He had known that Inuyasha decided to leave for hell with his clay-pot bitch. He had thought his brother was foolish before, but now he thought he was just a total failure. What kind of man throws his life away for a dead woman? He had a perfectly good, available, and alive miko waiting for him who clearly loved him, Kami only knows why.

He was glad his brother was gone though as he no longer had to worry about him and his foolishness. He was very angry though because even with his brother gone he still couldn't wield the Tetsaiga. He took the fang back to his castle and hid it so at least no one else could use it, destroying the sword would dishonor his late father.

Another person he had been thinking about lately was the miko, Kagome as she was called. For some reason he couldn't fathom he just couldn't get her out of his head. He thought about her constantly in the last few weeks and it was making him become very agitated. Sure she was powerful and she was beautiful for a human at least, but that was the thing. She was a human. His inner demon kept talking about how beautiful and powerful she was and how she would bring strong pubs into this world should she become his mate. He couldn't believe what his inner demon was saying, there was no way he was going to mate a human. His thoughts were interrupted as smelled a most delicious scent in the air and he new exactly who it belonged to. Somehow he found himself running like the wind and following the scent.

He stopped as she came into sight. She was facing away from him and seemed to be lost in her thoughts. She was wearing her strange clothing as usual, but it was something different the short green thing that she usually wore. She wore a strange long sleeved white top that seemed to cling to her skin and a pair of very strange looking blue hakama. (A/N: Remember Sesshy doesn't know future clothes, shes actaully wearing a pair of jeans. Also I know that she's stuck in the past, but lets just say that she brought a bunch of new clothes with her to the feudal era before the well was sealed.) They were tight as well and showed off her wonderful curves.

He shook him self from his thoughts, he couldn't think such things about a human. She seemed to be almost depressed though, it was like it was coming off her in waves.

"Where the hell am I? I'm so stupid for getting lost. I'm never going to find those herbs or my way back to the village. I'm such a failure as a miko," she stated in a sad voice.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that miko," he found himself saying to her. He heard her gasp and turn quickly around.

"Sesshomaru! O my god, you scared me. What were you saying?" Kagome asked. She was shocked to see him. He looked as gorgeous and looked just like she had remembered. She had been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't sensed him coming. She didn't quite understand what he meant though.

"This Sesshomaru doesn't like to repeat himself miko, but this time I will. You are not weak miko and you certainly not stupid," he stated.

"I was stupid enough to get lost and this is an important trip too. I'm looking for some special herbs that cure a horrible illness that is plaguing my village," she said while knowing on her lip and a worried expression on her face.

He looked at her and saw her desperation and worry. He new these lands better than anyone, maybe he would help her just this once. Just to kill some more time before he had to return to his castle and the problems that came with it. "If you describe the herbs and the location this Sesshomaru will help you to acquire them."

Kagome was stunned; he was offering to help her? This wasn't like the Sesshomaru she remembered, she would have expected him to just leave her to her plight and not have bothered talking to her in the first place. Maybe he was a little different, but not one to pass up some help she quickly explained to him the herbs and where they were located. He nodded at this. He seemed to know what she was talking about. He walked over to her and grabbed her and held her close to his chest and used his cloud to go towards the herbs.

Kagome blushed at being so close to him, who wouldn't at being crushed against a rock hard chest of a man who was insanely hot. Sesshomaru's inner demon loved having her so close to him, feeling her womanly curves against his body. He looked down at her and saw her avoiding his gaze with a bright red blush on her face. He smirked and his ego went up a few notches.

Ten minutes passed by and they had arrived at the field where the herbs she was looking for grew. "Thank you so much for everything Sesshomaru, I don't know what I would have done had you not come along. Also, I never got the chance to properly thank you for helping us with Naraku so thank you," she said and bowed towards him showing her thanks.

"It is of no concern miko," he said coolly. She then proceeded to quickly gather the herbs she needed and walked back towards him.

"I should hopefully be able to find my way back to my village. Thank you again for helping me. Goodbye Sesshomaru," she said and once again bowed towards him.

He nodded in her direction and turned away from her and started to walk away when he stopped. Without glancing towards her he said, "My brother was a fool not to choose you Kagome. I have a feeling we will see each other again." He then proceeded to step up on his cloud and fly away, but not before glancing back and seeing her stunned face.

Kagome was shocked once again; she couldn't believe he had said that. She had heard that before from Sango, Miroku, Shippou, and even Kaede, but for some reason when he said it made her feel ten times better.

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**A/N:** That's it you guys. It was short and fluffy and cute and I hope you guys liked it. Please review!!


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